1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for swinging the nipper frame of a cotton comber, more particularly, to a swinging method and apparatus of a nipper frame which is constructed so that the front end portion of a cushion plate provided on the front end of the nipper frame is swung with respect to a combing cylinder of a comber along a convex circular arc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a cotton comber, a firber web (ordinarily called a "lap") supplied to the combing mechanism of the comber is gripped between a cushion plate and descending nipper knife when the cushion plate retracts. As the cushion plate retracts, the gripped web approaches the combing cylinder, and, near the rearmost end of the swing of the cushion plate, undergoes the combing action of the needles of the combing cylinder to become a thin fiber sheet, that is, a fleece.
After this, the cushion plate enters its forward motion and approaches the backside of the detaching roller. At this time, the detaching roller reverses to send the fleece backward so this, fleece receives on the top surface of its center portion the front end of the fleece on the cushion plate and undergoing the combing action. At this time, the nipper knife rises away from the cushion plate to release the grip on the web. The detaching roller then rotates normally and the fleece goes forward. At this time, the back side of the fleece is combed by the top comb descending between the detaching roller and nipper knife.
Various swinging methods and apparatuses are in use in cotton combers, but there are still problems when the combing action is performed by the methods and apparatuses of the prior art, the gauge in the combing zone between the front end of the cushion plate and the needles of the combing cylinder cannot be held constant, making it difficult to obtain fine combing slivers. Also during working, vibration and wear of parts of the comber are high and high speed operation is difficult. Further, the nipper frame setting fulcrum is under the combing cylinder, which makes maintenance work difficult and unsafe.